An
explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear plant 29 years ago released a
massive radiation cloud that affected half of Europe and the fallout may
be felt by generations to come, with land remaining contaminated for
centuries. RT's Paula Slier visited the city of Slavutich, built for the
nuclear plant's staff evacuated after the tragedy in the 80s.***

(Video från den 2 maj 2015)
RT 2015-04-29Smoke from burning forests in the Chernobyl exclusion zone is capable of spreading contaminants across great distances, even after the fire has been stopped, ecology experts told RT.

The forest fire near the crippled Chernobyl nuclear power plant started on Tuesday and triggered an emergency alert, with police and National Guard mobilized to bring the flames under control.

By Wednesday, the country's Emergency Ministry, as well as the prime minister, who went to the affected area, said the spread of the fire had been stopped and firefighters were containing the remaining flames. Later on Wednesday, Ukrainian TV reported the flames in areas containing radioactive waste have been put out. New hot spots were discovered, but they are outside the exclusion zone.

- The fire occurred within 30 kilometers of the Chernobyl power plant, inside the exclusion zone which was abandoned and cordoned off almost 30 years ago.

In 1986, an explosion and fire in Chernobyl's Reactor 4 caused a release of radioactive particles into the air, which contaminated the surrounding area and caused an increase in radiation levels in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and across Europe.

It was the worst ever nuclear disaster in terms of casualties and clean-up costs. The crippled reactor itself was sealed under a sarcophagus of reinforced concrete.

Although the sarcophagus remains untouched by the fire, decades-old contaminants could still be released and travel far and wide, borne aloft by the smoke, nuclear safety expert John H. Large told RT:

"Brush fires and forest fires were the greatest concern in terms of the means by which you can disperse a secondary radiological impact from the original dissipation that occurred in 1986," he said.[...]

Chernobyl fires send radiation particles in atmosphere

***

Publicerades den 30 apr. 2015

Seventy hectares of forest near the abandoned Chernobyl nuclear power plant are still on fire.... while a larger area of woodland is smouldering. But the on-going blaze isn't the biggest concern... rather, it's the contaminated smoke particles being sent into the air because of it.***

"Most hotels have very high rails on their balconies to prevent just that sort of embarrassing death of a guest. I would like to know which hotel he was staying at and find a photo of the rooms, before I accept this "drunk enough to fall over the wall" excuse. - "

Litvinenko Wasn't Poisoned by Putin. He Was Likely Smuggling the Polonium That Killed Him

Russian Oligarch Boris Berezovsky’s employee Alexander Litvinenko likely died from over exposure to Polonium in a botched smuggling operation. That is why traces of it were at Berezovsky’s house and on the planes Litvinenko was riding to and from Israel